Extension hanger for cabinet drawer



Nov.4, 1958 r J. R. GOMERSALL 2,359,070

EXTENSION HANGER FOR CABINET DRAWER Filed May 21, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR.

I \iZmflGZ/zerdaZ y/w Nov. 4, 1958 J. R. GOMERSALL EXTENSION HANGER FOR CABINET DRAWER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 21, 1954 IN V EN TOR.

Unitecl States Patent Ofifice 1 2,859,070 Patented No 4, 1958 EXTENSION HANGER FOR CABINET DRAWER John R. Gomersall, Elgin, Ill., assignor to McGraw-Edison Company, a corporation of Delaware Application May 21, 1954, Serial No. 431,493

20 Claims. 01. 308-3.8)

The present invention relates to drawer suspensions, and more particularly to an extensible drawer suspension. This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 294,132, filed June 18, 1952, now abandoned.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, extensible drawer suspension which is easy to make and which requires a minimum of material.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide an extensible drawer suspension having a stationary track, a drawer track, and an intermediate member with simple inexpensive means for retaining the intermediate and the stationary track in both lateral and longitudinal assembled relationship.

Another object is to provide an extensible drawer suspension with simple but secure means for holding the extension member in place, particularly when the drawer is open, which means are readily enlarged and disengaged.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an extensible drawer suspension with means for preventing frictional engagement between the parts whereby the drawer may be easily moved into and out of a cabinet.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the suspension and a drawer supported thereby in its fully extended position; v

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the elements of my novel drawer suspension;

Figure 3 is a partial vertical cross section showing the suspension in its fully closed position, said view being taken substantially along the line 3-3 in Figure 4;

Figure 4 is a cross section taken substantially along line 4-4 inFigure 3; V i a Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line 55 in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an enlarged partial cross section taken along line 6-6 in Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view similar to Figure 3 but showing a slightly modified form of the present invention;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the stationary cabinet track used in the embodiment shown in Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a cross sectional view taken along line 9-9 in Figure 10 and showing another modified form of the invention;

Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line 10-10 in Figure 9; and

Figure 11 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the novel elements of the drawer suspension used in the embodiment of Figure 9. I

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, wherein like numerals have been employed to designate similar parts throughout the various figures, one specific drawer suspension embodying my invention includes a stationary track 8, a drawer track 10, and an intermediate control 2 member or part designated generally by the numeral 12 (see Fig. 2

The stationary track 8 comprises an upstanding web portion 14 having upper and lower flanges 16 and 18 extending in from its upper and lower edges. The upstanding portion 14 is provided with an elongated slot 20 extending longitudinally thereof, which slot is defined by lower and upper rail-edges 21 and 23 and has an enlarged offset portion 22 at its rear end. The stationary cabinet track 8 may be secured to the side wall of the cabinet 24 by any suitable means, such as rivets or bolts, not shown.

The drawer track 10 preferably includes a pair of angle irons 26 and 28 having outward extending flanges 30 and 32 abutting back to back. The angle irons 26 and 28 may be secured to the side of the drawer 34 by any suitable means, such as by welds or rivets, not shown.

The intermediate member 12 includes an upstanding plate portion 36 having upper and lower flanges 38 and 40 extending therefrom. A plurality of rollers 42, 44, and 46 are mounted on the upstanding portion 36 by pins 48, 50, and 52. These rollers are disposed to extend through openings in the lower flange 40 and to engage and ride on the lower flange 18 of the stationary cabinet track 8. Also mounted on the upstanding portion 36 of the intermediate member 12 are rollers 54 and 56 which are carried by pins 58 and 60. The rollers 54 and 56 are disposed to ride on the flange 30 of the drawer track 10, and in addition the roller 56 engages the under side of the upper flange 16 of the stationary cabinet track 8.

The rear end of the bottom flange 18 of the cabinet track has a bump 19 which lifts the rear end of inter mediate member 12 by engagement with the roller 46, and thereby the rear end of the drawer at the innermost end of their travel. A similar bump 33 on the lower flange 32 of the drawer track is adapted to ride up on theroller 42 so that the forward end of the intermediate member is also lifted. When the intermediate member in thus lifted, the drawer is also lifted for cooperation with a drawer cover, not shown. Of course, when the drawer is pulled out, the rollers 42 and 46 are disengaged from the bumps so that the drawer is lowered from the cover. This structure and operation are described more fully in my copending application Serial No. 294,131, filed June 18, 1952, and now Patent No. 2,687,924, issued August 31,

As shown best in Figures 4 and 5, one end of each of the pins 48, 50, 52, 58 and 60 extends out from the upstanding portion 36 of the intermediate member 12, and

the other ends of the pins extend beyond the rollers. The

outer ends of the pins are provided with enlarged heads 62 which retain the pins on the intermediate member 12. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the heads 62 of the pins act not only to retain the pins on the intermediate member but also as spacers to space the intermediate member 12 from the upstanding portion 14 of the stationary track 8, thereby preventing frictional engagement between the broad surfaces of the upstanding portions 14 and 36 which would make movement of the intermediate member relatively dif ficult. Thus, the heads 62 of the pins hold the parts in alignment to prevent binding, and they definitely predetermine the points at which the parts touch each other for limiting frictional contact to preselected paths and for holding frictional restraint to a minimum. The inner ends 64 of the pins also act as spacers to space the drawer track 10 and the drawer 34 in from the intermediate member 12 2,859,070 1 p p g standing portion 36 of the intermediate member 12. As shown best in Figure 6, the rivet .66 is provided at its outer end with an enlarged head 68 which overlies the rail edges 21 and 23 provided by the slot. To assemble the intermediate member 12 with the stationary track 8, the drawer 34 being out of the cabinet, it is merely necessary to align the rivet 66 with enlarged portion 22 of the slot 20 in the stationary track and move the parts laterally together. Conveniently, the lower rollers 42, 44 and 46 are first set on the lower flange 18, the member 12 being canted because the head 68 of the pin 66 will prevent that pin from enteringthe slot 20. The member 12 is then moved along the track until head 68 finds and enters enlargement 22. The head 68 of the rivet 66 is smaller than the enlarged opening 22 so that it may pass therethrough, but its diameter is greater than the width of the slot 20. By this structure when the intermediate member is moved forward relative to the stationary cabinet track 8, the head 68 of the rivet engages the outer surface of the upstanding portion 14 of the stationary track 8 and prevents the intermediate member from being laterally displaced from said stationary track. As shown best in Figure l, the rivet 66 stops against the front end of the slot 20 for establishing the fully extended position of intermediate member 12 and preventing longitudinal displacement of the intermediate member from the stationary track 8. The location of the slot 20 relative to the other parts of the mechanism is also shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. Pin 70 on the drawer track 26 stops against the gravitybiased lever 72 for limiting the outward or opening movement of the drawer 34. When the drawer 34 and the intermediate, or extension member 12, are thus at their extreme forward positions, as shown in Fig. 1, pin 66 in slot 20 prevents the rear end of extension member 12 from swinging laterally away from the cabinet wall and out of the channel-shaped track member 8. And by holding the rear end of member 12 in place, pin 66 also prevents the front end from swinging laterally away from the drawer for disengaging the drawer track 10. When a considerable part of the drawer is within the cabinet, the member 12 is trapped between the cabinet track 8 and drawer track 10. Accordingly the hole 22 for clearing the head of pin 66 is placed near the rear of slot 22 so that the member 12 loses the security of pin 66 in slot 20 only in a position in which, in normal use, it is held in place by the drawer track 10.

When the drawer is taken out of the cabinet, the intermediate member will be forward of its rearmost position and so the pin 66 will lie in the narrow part of slot 20 and will retain intermediate member 12 in place. Because roller 46 must ride up on the bump in flange 18 to bring the head 63 of pin 66 into register with enlargement 22, the intermediate member 12 will be in no danger of falling off of track 8. By this structure, a simple and inexpensive mechanism is provided which acts not only as a forward stop, but also to retain the intermediate member against lateral displacement.

In Figs. 7 and 8 there is shown a suspension structure which is similar to the above described structure as indicated by the application of identical reference numerals with the sutfix a added to corresponding elements and which differs from the above described structure only in the form of the elongated slot and the location of the enlarged opening for receiving the stop and locating pin. More specifically, the stationary track cabinet member 8a is provided an elongated slot 20a having an upwardly offset enlargement 22a located adjacent to but forwardly of its rear end. While the pin 66a may be assembled through the large openings in the manner set forth herein above, the embodiment of Figs. 7 and 8 has the advantage over the embodiment of Figs. 1 through 6 in that the pin 66a registers with enlarged opening 22a before the intermediate member 12a has been moved to its rearmost position. In other words, when the intermediate member 12a is in its innermost position as shown in Fig. 7 the pin 66a is completely out of registration with the enlarged opening so that there is no danger of the pin becoming accidentally disassembled from the fixed cabinet track. As will be understood, the pin 66a rises with the intermediate member So when the roller 46a rides up on the bump 19a and, therefore, in this embodiment the rear portion of the slot 20a is curved upwardly in the manner shown to accommodate the pin.

With the enlarged opening 22a offset upwardly from the longitudinal axis of the slot the intermediate member must be raised relative to the stationary member and the slot in order to permit the pin 66a to pass through the enlarged opening. Thus, the enlarged head of the pin 66a will always depend below the lower edge of the slot when the rollers 42a46a are resting on the lower flange 18a of the stationary cabinet track. Therefore, even when the pin is in substantial registration with the enlarged opening the head of the pin extends at least slightly below the lower edge of the enlarged opening to restrain accidental disassembly. I

As set forth in my above mentioned copending application, Serial No. 294,131, now Patent No. 2,687,924, the rear end of the stationary cabinet track upper flange is interrupted or oflset upwardly in order to accommodate the roller 56a when the roller 46a rides up on the bump. In the embodiment of Figs. 7 and 8 this interruption or offset portion of the flange 16a is extended forwardly a distance sufficiently to enable the intermediate member to be raised while the pin 66a is inserted through or removed from the enlarged opening.

It should be understood that, if desired, the enlarged opening 22a might be centered with respect to the longitudinal axis of the slot so that the pin could pass therethrough without being raised. However, this arrangement has the slight disadvantage of increasing the posse bility of accidental disassembly of the pin when, w1th the drawer removed, the intermediate member is moved to a position at which the pin and the enlarged opening register with each other. During normal use, however, the pin 66a cannot move laterally out of the enlarged opening since the intermediate member is held against lateral movement relative to the stationary cabinet track by the drawer.

In Figs. 9, 10 and 11 there is illustrated another modified form of the present invention which embodies substantially the same structural elements as the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 through 6. Thus, the elements of the embodiment shown in Figs. 9 through 11 which correspond to the same elements of the previously described structure have been designated by the same numerals with the suflix b added. This embodiment of the invention differs from those described above essentially in that the pin 66b is mounted on the stationary cabinet track 8b and the elongated slot is formed in the movable intermediate member 12b. It should be noted that the pin 66b is located toward the forward end of the stationary cabinet track and that the enlarged opening 22b is located toward the forward end of the slot. The enlarged opening 22b may be positioned away from the forward end of the slot in the manner shown so that the intermediate member may be assembled with the pin 66b before the roller 46b rides up on the bump 19b or the enlarged opening might be positioned at the forward end of the slot so that the intermediate member must be fully inserted within the cabinet and assembled with the pin in essentially the same manner as the intermediate member of the embodiment of Figs. 1 through 6 is assembled. When the enlarged opening 22b is spaced from the forward end of the slot, the forward end portion of the slot must be inclined downwardly in the manner shown in order to accommodate the pin when the intermediate member is raised by the bump 19b.

While the opening 22b might be centered with the longitudinal axis of the slot 20b, the enlarged opening is preferably offset in a manner similar to the enlarged Opening 22a described above. However, the enlarged opening 22b is offset downwardly instead of upwardly and as before the intermediate member must be raised in order to enable the pin 66b to pass through the openings. With this arrangement the enlarged head 68b of the pin always extends above the upper edge of the slot 20b and even when the pin is in substantial registration with the enlarged opening.

As shown best in Fig. the pins mounting the rollers on the intermediate member like the corresponding pins shown best inFigs. 4 and 5 also serve to space the intermediate member from the stationary cabinet track and the drawer track. However, the roller mounting pins have been modified so that the rollers and the drawer track are positioned a suflicient distancefrom the stationary cabinet track to provide clearance for the pin 66b.

It should be noted that in all forms of the present invention described above the enlarged opening in the slot and the headed stop and retaining pin are positioned so that they register with each other only when the intermediate member has been moved to or at least a substantial distance toward its rearmost position. Thus, the pin cannot possibly come out of the slot when the drawer suspension and more particularly when the intermediate member is in its extreme forward position and there is little danger of the pin accidentally coming out of the enlarged opening since the intermediate member is trapped by the drawer when the pin and enlarged opening are in substantial alignment.

It is obvious that many structural changes may be made in the preferred embodiments of my invention which have been described and shown herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. In a suspension for drawers and the like adapted to be moved into and out of a cabinet, a stationary cabinet track, and an intermediate drawer supporting member disposed to ride on said track to and from outer and inner positions, said track having an elongated slot of substantially uniform Width disposed longitudinally from an outer portion to an inner portion thereof and an enlarged opening communicating with the innermost end of the slot, a pin extending from said intermediate member through said slot and engageable with the outer vend of said slot to prevent longitudinal displacement of said intermediate member from said track, said pin having an enlarged head on its free end which head is insertable through said enlarged opening and adapted to engage said stationary track to retain said intermediate member against lateral displacement from said track when the intermediate member is disposed substantially at its outer position and is being moved to and from said outer position, and means for displacing said intermediate member vertically relative to said track when the intermediate member is adjacent its inner position, said enlarged opening and said pin being disposed so that they align with each other when the intermediate member is disposed substantially at its inner position to permit assembly of the pin through the enlarged opening and to permit said vertical displacement of the intermediate member relative to the track.

2. In a suspension for drawers and the like adapted to bemoved into and out of a cabinet, a stationary cabinet track, a movable drawer track, an intermediate member disposed between and movable relative to said tracks, a pin mounted on said intermediate member and extending outwardly from opposite sides thereof to space said intermediate member from said tracks, and a roller adapted to engage at least one of said tracks rotatably mounted on said pin.

3. In a suspension for drawers and the like adapted to be moved into and out of a cabinet, a stationary track member, amovable drawertrack, an intermediatemember disposed between and movable relative to said drawer track and said stationary track member, one of said members having an elongated slot disposed longitudinally thereof, stop and retaining means extending from the other of said members through said slot for retaining said intermediate member and said stationary track member against'both lateral and longitudinal disassembly, a pin mounted on said intermediate member and extending outwardly from opposite sides thereof to space said intermediate member from said stationary cabinet track member and said drawer track, and a roller adapted to engage at least one of said tracksmounted on said pin.

4. In a suspension for drawers and the like adapted to be moved into and out of a cabinet, a stationary cabinet track, a movable drawer track, an intermediate member disposed between and movable relative to said tracks, said stationary track having an elongated slot disposed longitudinally thereof, means extending from said intermediate member through said slot for retaining said intermediate member against both lateral and longitudinal displacement from said stationary track, a pin mounted in said intermediate member and extending outwardly from opposite sides thereof to space said intermediate member from said tracks, and a roller adapted toengage at least one of said tracks rotatably mounted on said pin. i

5. In a suspensiontfor drawers and the like adapted to be moved into and out of a cabinet, a stationary cabinet track having an upstanding portion, said upstanding portion having an elongated slot of substantially uniform widthextending longitudinally from an outer portion to an inner portion thereof, a movable drawer track, an intermediate vmember disposed between and movable relative to said tracks, a pin mounted in said intermediate member and extending outwardly from opposite sides thereof to space said intermediate member from said tracks, a roller adapted to engage at least one of said tracks rotatably mounted-on said pin, a second pin extending. from said intermediate member through said slot and engageable with an end thereof for retaining said intermediate member against longitudinal disassembly from said stationary track, and an enlarged head on the outer free end of said second pin which head is engageable with said stationary track to retain said intermediate member against lateral disassembly therefrom.

6. A suspension as defined in claim 5, wherein said elongated slot communicates as its inner end with an enlarged opening in said stationary cabinet track through which opening the enlarged head on said second mennoned pin may pass during assembly of said intermediate 'member with said stationary track.

7. In a susp ension for drawers and the like adapted to be moved into and out of a cabinet, a stationary cabinet track member having an upstanding portion, said upstanding portion having an elongated slot of substant1ally uniform width extending longitudinally from an outer portlon to an inner portion thereof, and an enlarged opening communicating with the innermost end of the slot,a movable drawer track member, an intermediate member disposed between and movable relative to said track member to and from outer and inner positlons, a PlIl mounted on said intermediate member and extending outwardly from opposite sides thereof to space said intermediate member from both of said track members, a roller adapted to engage at least one of said track members rotatably mounted on said pin, pin means extending from said intermediate member through said slot and engageable with the outer end of the slot for retaining said intermediate member against longitudinal disassembly from the stationary track member, an enlarged head-on the outer free end of said pin means, which head is insertable through said enlarged opening and is engageable with saidstationary track to retain the intermediate member against lateral disassembly therefrom when the intermediate member is disposed at its outer position and is being moved to and from said outer position, and means for displacing said intermediate member vertically relative to said stationary track member when the intermediate member is adjacent its inner position, said enlarged opening and said pin means being disposed so that they align with each other when the intermediate member is disposed substantially at its inner position to permit assembly of the pin means through the enlarged opening and to permit said vertical displacement of the intermediate member relative to the stationary track member.

8. In a suspension for drawers and the like for movement thereof into and out of a cabinet, a pair of elongated, relatively reciprocal guide members, one of said guide members being extendable at least partially out of the cabinet and so that it projects substantially beyond an outer end of the other of said guide members, stops for limiting the reciprocal relative motion of said guide members, one of said members having an elongate longitudinal rail-edge, the other having a projection flanking said rail-edge for retaining said members against lateral separation, said rail-edge having a recess for clearing said flanking projection for permitting lateral separation of said members, said recess being so located that it registers with said projection when said members are in a relative position they occupy when said extendable guide member is retracted substantially within the cabinet and the drawer is nearer to its closed than to its open position.

9. A suspension for drawers and the like as in claim 8 wherein the first of said guide members has a longitudinal slot one edge of which constitutes said rail-edge and wherein the other guide member has a headed pin extending through said slot and constituting said projection.

10. A suspension for drawers and the like as in claim 9 wherein one of said guide members is a track for rollers on the other and said slot is on the track member.

11. A suspension for drawers and the like as in claim 9 wherein one of said guide members is a track for rollers on the other and said headed pin is on the track member.

12. A suspension for drawers and the like as in claim 8 wherein there is included a second rail-edge that blocks the separation of said projection from said first rail-edge.

13. In a suspension for drawers and the like for movement thereof into and out of a cabinet, a pair of elongate, relatively reciprocable, guide members, one of which carries part of the weight of the drawer and is supported by the other, said guide members having clearance to permit lifting of said supported guide member relative to the other, one of said members having an elongate, longitudinal rail-edge, the other having a projection flanking said rail-edge for retaining said members against lateral separation, said rail-edge and projection being so oriented and limited that lifting of said supported guide member as aforesaid removes them from flanking relation and thereby permits lateral separation of said two guide members.

14. In a suspension for drawers and the like for movement thereof into and out of a cabinet, a pair of relatively reciprocable guide members including a track and a roller, said track having a deflected part for engagement with said roller for lifting the drawer at one position thereof, one of said guide members having an elongate, longitudinal, rail-edge, the other having a projection flanking said rail-edge for retaining said guide members against lateral separation as they reciprocate, said rail-edge being so oriented and so limited that when said roller and said deflected part of said track are in engagement as aforesaid, said projection clears said railedge for permitting lateral separation of said guide members.

15. A suspension for drawers and the like as in claim 14 wherein a headed pin and a slot provide said projection and rail-edge, and wherein an enlargement in said slot clears the head of the pin when said roller engages the deflected part of said track,

16. In a suspension for drawers and the like adapted to be moved into and out of a cabinet, a stationary cabinet track member, an intermediate drawer supporting member carried by said track member for movement to and from outer and inner positions, one of said members having 'slot means of generally uniform width extending longitudinally therein, and pin means having a shank portion and an enlarged end portion extending from the'other of said members through said slot means for retaining said members against lateral and longitudinal displacement from each other, said slot means having an enlarged portion through which the enlarged end of said pin means may pass, said enlarged slot means portion being offset from the longitudinal axis of the slot means so that said members must be displaced vertically relative to each other to permit the enlarged end of the pin means to pass through said enlarged portion of the slot means. 7 V

17. A suspension for drawers and the like, as defined in claim 16, wherein said slot means is in said track member, and wherein said enlarged slot means portion is offset upwardly.

18. A suspension for drawers and the like, as defined in claim 16, wherein said slot means is in said intermediate member, and wherein said enlarged slot means portion is offset downwardly.

19. In a suspension for drawers and the like for movement thereof into and out of a cabinet, a pair of elongate, relatively reciprocal, guide members one of which carries part of the weight of the drawer and is supported by the other, said guide member having clearance to permit lifting of said supported guide member relative to the other, one of said guide members having a pair of longitudinal rail edges, the other having a projection flanking one of said rail edges for retaining said members against lateral separation, the other rail edge blocking vertical separation of said projection from said first rail edge when said supporting guide member is lifted as aforesaid, one of said guide members including a track having a short inclined deflection for causing said supported member and said drawer to rise in response to longitudinal motion relative to the supporting guide member, whereby gravity biases said drawer, said second rail edge having a recess for clearing said projection, said recess being so located that when said guide members are in the relative position to which gravity biases them with respect to said inclined deflection, said recess permits lifting of said supported guide member for removing said projection and first rail edge from flanking position, whereby to permit lateral separation of said guide members.

20. In a suspension for drawers and the like adapted to be moved into and out of a cabinet, a stationary cabinet track member, an intermediate drawer supporting member carried by said track member for movement to and from outer and inner positions, one of said members having elongated slot means therein defined by a generally longitudinally extending edge, pin means having an enlarged end portion extending from the other of said members through said slot means and overlying said edge for retaining said mem' bers against lateral and longitudinal displacement from each other, and means for displacing said intermediate member vertically relative to said track member when the intermediate member is adjacent its inner position, said slot means having a portion thereof in which to accommodate relative vertical movement between the slot means and the pin means when the intermediate member is displaced vertically relative to said track member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,070,064 Pasinski Feb. 9, 1937 

